Head support apparatus for spinal surgery
An apparatus comprises a base configured to mount on a frame, a post coupled to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, a head support for supporting the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame, and a lockable joint coupled to the post and coupled to the head support to position the head support above the base. The lockable joint, when locked, prevents movement of the head support along the post and prevents movement of the head support relative to the post about a plurality of axes. The lockable joint, when unlocked, allows movement of the head support along the post and allows movement of the head support relative to the post about the plurality of axes.
This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/670,027, 60/670,040, and 60/670,041 all three of which were filed Apr. 11, 2005; and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/720,598 which was filed Sep. 26, 2005. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/229,759 which was filed Sep. 19, 2005 and which claimed the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/626,627 which was filed Nov. 10, 2004. U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/670,027; 60/670,040; 60/670,041; 60/720,598 and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/229,759 are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure generally relates to surgical tables, and particularly to surgical tables for spinal surgery. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for supporting a patient's head during spinal surgery.
Positioning of a patient is an important consideration in spinal surgery. A patient undergoing spinal surgery must be properly positioned in a prone position to provide the surgeon adequate access to a surgical site. Some known surgical tables are usable for spinal surgeries, such as a surgical table shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,106 and a surgical table extension shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,067. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,131,106 and 4,995,067 are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention comprises an apparatus having one or more of the features recited in the claims or one or more of the following features, which alone or in any combination may comprise patentable subject matter:
A head support apparatus may comprise a base configured to mount on the frame, a post coupled to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, a head support for supporting the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame, and a lockable joint coupled to the post and coupled to the head support to position the head support above the base. The lockable joint, when locked, may prevent movement of the head support along the post and may prevent movement of the head support relative to the post about a plurality of axes. The lockable joint, when unlocked, may allow movement of the head support along the post and may allow movement of the head support relative to the post about the plurality of axes.
At least the base and the head support may be formed of radiolucent material. The lockable joint may include a housing movable along the post and a handle coupled to the housing and configured to lock the housing at a selected longitudinal position along the post and lock the lockable joint against movement about the plurality of axes. The handle may be movable between a first position in which the lockable joint is locked and a second position in which the lockable joint is unlocked. The handle may be removably coupled to the housing. A tether may support the handle when the handle is not coupled to the housing. The lockable joint may comprise a ball joint. The lockable joint may comprise a modular support configured to be coupled to each of a plurality of head supports. As used herein, the term “head support” broadly includes skull clamps, head rings, forehead supports, horseshoe headrests, and the like.
The base may include a pair of longitudinally-extending and transversely-spaced side portions and a cross portion extending transversely between the side portions. The side portions may define a space below the head support which is substantially free of any structure that would interfere with the caregiver having relatively unrestricted access to the mouth, the nose and the eyes of a patient lying in a prone position. A mirror may be coupled to the cross portion below the head support for movement between a use position adjacent a patient's face and a storage position away from the patient's face. A friction mechanism may be coupled to the mirror and coupled to the cross portion of the base to maintain the mirror at a selected angular position.
A lockable second joint may be coupled to the cross portion and coupled to the post. The lockable second joint, when locked, may prevent lateral movement of the post along the cross portion. The lockable second joint, when unlocked, may allow lateral movement of the post along the cross portion. The lockable second joint may include a mounting block having a downwardly-facing channel sized to receive the cross portion and a handle coupled to the mounting block and configured to lock the mounting block at a selected transverse position along the cross portion.
The head support may comprise a shell having an upwardly-facing concave interior surface and a chin support coupled to a pair of laterally-spaced arms that extend outwardly from a downwardly-facing surface of the shell. The shell may have a cutout in communication with an opening formed by the chin support and the laterally-spaced arms to allow one or more tubes, such as an endotracheal tube, to be routed therethrough to a patient's nose and/or mouth. The arms may be located below the upwardly-facing surface of the shell to define a space above the arms through which one or more tubes may be routed to a patient's nose and/or mouth. The shell may be molded from a plastic material, and the cutout may be integrally molded therewith.
In some embodiments, a head support apparatus may comprise a head support including a shell having a chin pad and a foam pad having a downwardly-opening recess configured to receive the chin pad when the head support supports the head of a patient lying in a prone position with the foam pad interposed between the shell and the patient's face. The shell may have a pair of posts that extend downwardly from a downwardly-facing surface of the shell, and the foam pad may have a pair of laterally-spaced tabs that are configured to attach to the posts.
In some other embodiments, a head support apparatus may comprise a head support including a shell having an upwardly-facing concave interior surface and a relatively flat foam pad that moves from a flat state into a curved state as it moves down into the shell under the weight of a patient's head. The shell and the flat foam pad may each have a cutout in a region thereof that corresponds to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth. The side walls of the cutout in the foam pad may flare outwardly away from a patient's face as the foam pad moves into the curved state under the weight of a patient's head. The foam pad may be made from water-based polyurethane foam.
In still other embodiments, a head support apparatus may comprise a base configured to mount on a frame, an inclined plane coupled to the base and a foam block having a downwardly-facing surface configured to engage an upwardly-facing surface of the inclined plane. The inclined plane and the foam block may each have a cutout in a region thereof that corresponds to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth.
In some embodiments, a head support apparatus may comprise a base configured to mount on the frame, a vertically adjustable post coupled to the base and extending generally upwardly therefrom, a relatively shallow dish coupled to the post and a foam block having a downwardly-facing surface configured to engage an upwardly-facing surface of the dish. The foam block and the dish may each have a cutout in a region thereof corresponding to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth.
In other embodiments, a head support apparatus may comprise a base configured to mount on the frame, a U-shaped support coupled to the base and extending generally upwardly therefrom and a foam block coupled to a bight portion of the U-shaped support for pivoting movement about a transverse axis. The foam block and the dish may each have a cutout in a region thereof corresponding to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth.
Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), including those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe detailed description particularly refers to the following figures, in which:
As shown in
The spinal surgery extension 20 includes a generally rectangular frame 50, an adjustable telescopic support 52, and a generally U-shaped base 54. An upper end 56 of the telescopic support 52 is coupled to the frame 22 by an upper multi-axes joint 58 and a lower end 60 of the telescopic support 52 is coupled to the base 54 by a lower multi-axes joint 62. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper joint 30 is a universal joint and the lower joint 30 is a ball joint. The rectangular frame 50 includes left and right longitudinally-extending transversely-spaced siderails 70, 72 and head and foot end cross rails 74, 76 extending transversely between the siderails 70, 72 near head and foot ends of the frame 50. The head end cross rail 74 is coupled to the telescopic support 52 via the upper joint 58. Two pivot shafts 78 extend outwardly from foot end cross rail 76. The pivot shafts 78 are supported by associated rail clamps 80 secured to the accessory rails 40 of the seat section 32 of the surgical table 22. The pivot shafts 78 allow the frame 50 to pivot about a transverse axis 82 relative to the surgical table 22.
The siderails 70, 72 and the cross rails 74, 76 of the frame 50 have a generally rectangular cross section. In the illustrated embodiment, the rails 70, 72, 74, 76 are each about 1.5 inches (about 3.81 centimeters) high and about 1.25 inches (about 3.175 centimeters) wide. The inside spacing between the siderails 70, 72 is about 14.5 inches (about 36.83 centimeters). The inside spacing between the cross rails 74, 76 is about 48.5 inches (about 123.2 centimeters). The rails 70, 72, 74, 76 are made from radiolucent material, such as carbon fiber tube with a foam core, so that they do not interfere with x-ray imaging of a patient supported in a prone position on the frame 50 during spinal surgery. For certain surgical procedures, such as spinal surgery, it is desirable to have x-ray images of the patient to guide the surgeon in performing the surgery.
The telescopic support 52 includes a crank handle 90 which is operable to vary the height of the head end of the frame 50 between about 30 inches (about 76.2 centimeters) and about 42 inches (about 106.68 centimeters) above a floor 92. The U-shaped base 54 includes a bight portion 94 and two spaced legs 96 which flare outwardly. When the frame 50 is attached to the surgical table 22, the legs 96 extend toward the surgical table as shown in
As shown in
The chest and hip support apparatuses 102, 104 are described in detail in U.S. patent application (7175-79621), Ser. No. ______, entitled “Body Support Apparatus for Spinal Surgery,” and filed concurrently herewith, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. The spinal surgery extension 20 is described in detail in U.S. patent application (7175-79617), Ser. No. ______, entitled “Accessory Frame for Spinal Surgery,” and filed concurrently herewith, which is also hereby incorporated by reference herein.
As shown in
The lockable joint 116, when locked, prevents vertical movement of the head support 114 along the post 112 and prevents movement of the head support 114 relative to the post 112 about a plurality of axes. As used herein, the term “plurality of axes” means at least two axes. The lockable joint 116, when unlocked, allows vertical movement of the head support 114 along the post 112 and allows movement of the head support 114 relative to the post 112 about a plurality of axes. Thus, the lockable joint 116, when unlocked, may allow movement of the head support 114 relative to the post 112 about two axes, three axes, and so on. Further, as used herein, the term “spinal surgery” is used in a general sense to mean any back surgery, including the spinal surgery, in which a patient is supported in a prone position with the patient's head supported by the head support 114.
In the illustrated embodiment, as shown, for example, in
As shown in
Referring to
Although, in the illustrated embodiment, the side arms 146, 148 are coupled to the downwardly-facing surface 150 of the shell 140, they may very well be connected to the upwardly-facing surface 142 of the shell 140. Also, it is noted that any suitable fasteners, such as pins, studs, rivets, nut and bolt combinations, and the like, may be used for attaching the side arms 146, 148 to the shell 140. In the illustrated embodiment, the chin pad 144 is integrally formed with the side arms 146, 148. In other embodiments, the chin pad 144 may be separately formed from the side arms 146, 148 and then attached to the side arms 146, 148 by suitable fasteners. Although, in the illustrated embodiment, the chin pad 144 is attached to the shell 140 by two laterally-spaced side arms 146, 148, it is understood that, in other embodiments, the chin pad 144 may be attached to the shell 140 by one arm, instead of two arms, that extends outwardly from the shell 140. In some embodiments, the chin pad 144 and the side arms 146, 148 may be integrally formed with the shell 140. In the illustrated embodiment, the shell 140, the chin pad 144 and the side arms 146, 148 are all molded from a generally rigid radiolucent plastic material, such as polyethylene.
Referring to
Still referring to
As shown in
In plan view, as shown, for example, in
As shown in
The lockable upper joint 116 is coupled to the post 112 and coupled to the head support 114. As shown in
The large diameter bore 238 of the housing 232 is configured to receive an insert 250 which is disposed between the ball 240 and the post 112, which extends vertically upwardly from the base 110. The post 112 extends though oppositely-disposed openings in the housing 232, which define an axis 256 that is disposed generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 234 of the housing 232. The longitudinal axis 234 of the housing 232 extends generally horizontally when the post 112 extending through the openings in the housing 232 extends generally vertically.
Referring to
As the stud 272 is threaded into the housing 232, a force is applied to the insert 250. This force in turn applies a force against both the ball 240 and the post 112 to simultaneously lock both the ball 240 and the post 112 against movement. This locks the longitudinal position of the support arm 244 (and the head support 114 secured thereto) along the post 112, and also locks the angular position of the support arm 244 (and the head support 114 secured thereto) relative to the post 112. The housing 232 is enclosed between first and second covers 246, 248. The covers 246, 248 have holes that line up with the associated holes in the housing 232. In the illustrated embodiment, the covers are made from soft plastic material, such as Vinyl. The lockable joint 116 is of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,324, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As noted above, the lockable lower joint 118 is coupled to the base 110 and coupled to the post 112. Referring to
As shown in
Still referring to
The pad 122 has oppositely-disposed tabs 412 which extend outwardly from the side wall 404 of the pad 122. In illustrated embodiment, the tabs 412 in the pad 122 have slots 414 for attaching elastic straps or bands. The other ends of the straps are configured to be attached to the underside of the shell 140 by suitable fasteners to secure the pad 122 to the shell 140. In some embodiments, the tabs 414 of the pad 122 are configured to engage complementary tabs (not shown) provided on the shell 140 to properly position the pad 122 with respect to the shell 140. When the head of a patient lying in a prone position is supported by the head support 114 with the pad 122 interposed between the head support 114 and the face of the patient, the cutout 406 in the pad 122 generally aligns with the cutout 160 and the opening 170 in the head support 114. One or more tubes carrying medical gases and/or fluids may be routed from life support equipment through the cutout 160 and the opening 170 in the head support 114, and then through the cutout 406 in the pad 122 to a patient's nose and/or mouth.
In the illustrated embodiment, the pad 122 has a width of about 11.60 inches (about 29.46 centimeters) and a height of about 13.9 inches (about 35.31 centimeters). The thickness of the pad 122 is about 1.75 inches (about 4.45 centimeters). The first transverse width of the cutout 406 is about 6.0 inches (about 15.24 centimeters). The second transverse width of the cutout 406 varies between about 2.0 inches (about 5.08 centimeters) near the top to about 3.0 inches (about 7.62 centimeters) near the bottom. The slots 414 in the tabs 412 are about 1.25 inches (about 3.18 centimeters) wide. The pad 122 is made from cosmetic foam, such as water-based polyurethane foam. The cosmetic foam material used for the pad 122 is a relatively pliable, easily stretchable soft material that has a relatively low friction surface so that the friction between an upwardly facing surface 400 of the pad 122 and the patient's skin is reduced.
Illustratively, the base 452 includes a pair of laterally-spaced side portions 460 and a cross portion 462 extending transversely between the side portions 460. A mirror 464 is coupled to the cross portion 462 below the coupler 458 for pivoting movement between use and storage positions. Each of the side portions 460 of the base 452 has a downwardly-opening channel 466 for receiving an associated siderail 70, 72 of the frame 50. The lockable joint 456 includes a handle 457 movable between an unlocked position allowing movement of the coupler 458 about a plurality of axes and a locked position preventing movement of the coupler 458 about the plurality of axes.
In
Likewise, the connector 478, when unlocked, allows longitudinal movement of the cheek supports 472 along the support arm 474 and allows pivoting movement of the cheek supports 472 about the support arm 474. The connector 478, when locked, locks the cheek supports 472 at a selected longitudinal position along the support arm 474 and locks the cheek supports 472 at a selected angular position relative to the support arm 474. To reduce the risk of injuries to the patient's face, a disposable cushion, such as a foam pad 480, is removably secured to an upwardly-facing surface of the forehead support 470.
As noted, the head support 490 is coupled to the modular coupler 458 by the support arm 492. As shown in
The foam cushion 500 has a cutout 502 that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the foam cushion 500. Likewise, the shell 494 has a cutout (not shown) that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the shell 494. The cutouts in the foam cushion 500 and the shell 494 are aligned so that one or more tubes carrying medical gases can be routed therethrough to the mouth and/or nose of a patient. In some embodiments, the shell 494 and the foam cushion 500 are both made from transparent material, such as clear polycarbonate material, to improve the visibility of a patient's face. As noted with reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, the base 552 includes a pair of laterally-spaced side portions 570 and a cross portion 572 extending transversely between the side portions 570. Each of the side portions 570 of the base 552 has a downwardly-opening channel 574 for receiving an associated siderail 70, 72 of the frame 50. In some embodiments, a mirror (not shown) is coupled to the cross portion 572 below the forehead support 560 for pivoting movement between use and storage positions. The lockable joint 556 includes a removable quick-release handle 576 (
The foam block 608 has a cutout 614 that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the foam block 608. Likewise, the inclined plane 604 has a cutout 616 that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the plane 604. In addition, the foam block 608 has an opening 618 that extends from a side wall 620 of the foam block 608 to the cutout 614 in the foam block 608. One or more tubes carrying medical gases may be routed to a patient's mouth and/or nose through the cutouts 614, 616. Alternately, one or more tubes carrying medical gases may be routed to a patient's mouth and/or nose through the opening 618 in the foam block 608 and then through the cutout 614 in the foam block 608. The opening 618 opens outwardly through the upwardly-facing surface 612 of the foam block 608 through a vertically-extending narrow track 622 so that tubes carrying medical gases can be readily inserted into the opening 618 through the track 622. The base 602 has downwardly-opening channels 624 for receiving siderails 70, 72 of the frame 50 of the spinal surgery extension 20. In some embodiments, the inclined plane 604 and the foam block 608 are both made from transparent material, such as clear polycarbonate material, to improve the visibility of a patient's face.
The foam block 658 has a cutout 664 that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the foam block 658. Likewise, the inclined plane 654 has a cutout 666 that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the plane 654. One or more tubes carrying medical gases may be routed to a patient's mouth and/or nose through the cutouts 664, 666 in the foam block 658 and the inclined plane 654. The base 652 has downwardly-opening channels 668 for receiving siderails 70, 72 of the frame 50 of the spinal surgery extension 20. In some embodiments, the inclined plane 654 and the foam block 658 are both made from transparent material, such as clear polycarbonate material, to improve the visibility of a patient's face.
The foam block 708 has a cutout 714 that opens outwardly through the upwardly and downwardly-facing surfaces of the foam block 708. Likewise, the inclined dish 706 has a cutout 716 (
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have herein been described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
There are a plurality of advantages of the present invention arising from the various features of the embodiments described herein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the present invention may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of a device that incorporates one or more of the features of the present invention and fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for attachment to a patient support frame to support the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame during surgery, the apparatus comprising:
- a base configured to mount on the frame,
- a post coupled to the base and extending upwardly therefrom,
- a head support for supporting the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame, and
- a lockable joint coupled to the post and coupled to the head support to position the head support above the base, the lockable joint, when locked, preventing movement of the head support along the post and preventing movement of the head support relative to the post about a plurality of axes, and the lockable joint, when unlocked, allowing movement of the head support along the post and allowing movement of the head support relative to the post about the plurality of axes.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least the base and the head support are formed of radiolucent material.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lockable joint includes a housing movable along the post and a handle coupled to the housing and configured to lock the housing at a selected longitudinal position along the post and lock the lockable joint against movement about the plurality of axes.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the handle is movable between a first position in which the lockable joint is locked and a second position in which the lockable joint is unlocked.
5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the handle is removably coupled to the housing.
6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the lockable joint includes a tether for supporting the handle when the handle is not coupled to the housing.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lockable joint comprises a ball joint.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lockable joint comprises a modular support configured to be coupled to each of a plurality of head supports.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base includes a pair of longitudinally-extending and transversely-spaced side portions and a cross portion extending transversely between the side portions.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the side portions define a space below the head support which is substantially free of any structure that would interfere with the caregiver having relatively unrestricted access to the mouth, the nose and the eyes of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame with the patient's head supported by the head support.
11. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising a mirror coupled to the cross portion below the head support for movement between a storage position away from a patient's face and a use position adjacent the patient's face.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising a friction mechanism coupled to the mirror and coupled to the cross portion of the base and operable to maintain the mirror at a selected angular position.
13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the frame includes a pair of longitudinally-extending and transversely-spaced siderails, and each of the side portions of the base includes a downwardly-opening channel for receiving an associated siderail.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one clamp coupled to a side portion of the base and operable to secure the side portion to an associated siderail of the frame.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the siderails have a generally rectangular cross-section, and the downwardly-facing channels in side portions have a complementary generally rectangular cross-section.
16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a lockable second joint coupled to the cross portion and coupled to the post, wherein the lockable second joint, when locked, preventing lateral movement of the post along the cross portion, and the lockable second joint, when unlocked, allowing lateral movement of the post along the cross portion.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lockable second joint includes a mounting block having a downwardly-facing channel sized to receive the cross portion and a handle coupled to the mounting block and configured to lock the mounting block at a selected transverse position along the cross portion.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the handle is movable between a first position in which the lockable second joint is locked and a second position in which the lockable second joint is unlocked.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head support comprises a shell having an upwardly-facing concave interior surface dimensioned to accommodate the facial structure of a patient resting in a prone position on the frame and a chin support coupled to a pair of laterally-spaced arms that extend outwardly from a downwardly-facing surface of the shell.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the shell has a cutout in communication with an opening formed by the chin support and the laterally-spaced arms.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the cutout is in a region that generally corresponds to a patient's eyes and nose, and the opening is in a region that generally corresponds to a patient's mouth.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the cutout has a generally oval first portion and a short generally hourglass-shaped second portion.
23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the cutout and the opening are configured to allow one or more tubes, such as an endotracheal tube, to be routed therethrough to a patient's nose and/or mouth.
24. the apparatus of claim 19, wherein the arms are located below the upwardly-facing surface of the shell to define a space above the arms through which one or more tubes may be routed to a patient's nose and/or mouth.
25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the shell is molded from a plastic material, and the cutout is integrally molded therewith.
26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head support comprises a U-shaped forehead support configured to support a patient's forehead.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the forehead support is coupled to a support arm that extends outwardly from the lockable joint.
28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a pair of transversely-spaced cheek pads configured to support a patient's cheeks.
29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein cheek pads are coupled to the support arm
30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the cheek pads are coupled to the forehead support.
31. An apparatus comprising:
- a head support including a shell having a chin pad, and
- a foam pad having a downwardly-opening recess configured to receive the chin pad when the head support supports the head of a patient lying in a prone position with the foam pad interposed between the shell and the patient's face.
32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the foam pad has a generally oval-shaped ridge that extends downwardly from a downwardly-facing surface thereof to define the downwardly-opening recess so that the chin pad is surrounded by the ridge when the head support supports the head of a patient lying in a prone position with the foam pad interposed between the shell and the patient's face.
33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the shell has a pair of posts that extend downwardly from a downwardly-facing surface of the shell, and the foam pad has a pair of laterally-spaced tabs that are configured to attach to the posts.
34. An apparatus comprising:
- a head support including a shell having an upwardly-facing concave interior surface contoured to accommodate a patient's face, the shell having a cutout in a region thereof that corresponds to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth, and
- a relatively flat foam pad having a cutout in a region thereof that corresponds to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth, the foam pad moving from a flat state into a curved state as it moves down into the shell under the weight of a patient's head.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the cutout in the foam pad generally aligns with the cutout in the shell as the foam pad moves from the flat state into the curved state under the weight of a patient's head.
36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein side walls of the cutout in the foam pad flare outwardly away from the patient's face as the foam pad moves from the flat state into the curved state under the weight of a patient's head.
37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the foam pad is made from water-based polyurethane foam.
38. An apparatus for attachment to a patient support frame to support the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame during surgery, the apparatus comprising:
- a base configured to mount on the frame,
- an inclined plane coupled to the base, the inclined plane having a cutout in a region thereof that corresponds to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth, and
- a foam block having a downwardly-facing surface configured to engage an upwardly-facing surface of the inclined plane, the foam block having a cutout in a region thereof corresponding to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth.
39. The apparatus of claim 38, comprising a coupler secured to the inclined plane that is configured to engage a mating coupler secured to the foam block to removably secure the foam block to the inclined plane.
40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the couplers are hook-and-loop fasteners.
41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the foam block has an opening that extends laterally from a side wall of the foam block to the cutout in the foam block.
42. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein an upwardly-facing surface of the foam block is generally parallel to the base when the downwardly-facing surface of the foam block engages the upwardly-facing surface of the inclined plane.
43. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein an upwardly-facing surface of the foam block is contoured to accommodate the facial structure of a patient's face.
44. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the base has downwardly-opening channels for receiving laterally-spaced siderails of the frame.
45. An apparatus for attachment to a patient support frame to support the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame during surgery, the apparatus comprising:
- a base configured to mount on the frame,
- a vertically adjustable post coupled to the base and extending generally upwardly therefrom,
- a relatively shallow dish coupled to the post, the dish having an upwardly-facing surface, and
- a foam block having a downwardly-facing surface configured to engage the upwardly-facing surface of the dish, the foam block having a cutout in a region thereof corresponding to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth.
46. The apparatus of claim 45, comprising a coupler secured to the dish that is configured to engage a mating coupler secured to the foam block to removably secure the foam block to the inclined plane.
47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the foam block is horseshoe shaped.
48. An apparatus for attachment to a patient support frame to support the head of a patient lying in a prone position on the frame during surgery, the apparatus comprising:
- a base configured to mount on the frame,
- a U-shaped support coupled to the base and extending generally upwardly therefrom,
- a foam block coupled to a bight portion of the U-shaped support for pivoting movement about a transverse axis, the foam block having a cutout in a region thereof corresponding to a patient's eyes, nose and mouth.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 11, 2006
Publication Date: Nov 16, 2006
Patent Grant number: 7882583
Inventor: Thomas Skripps (Acton, MA)
Application Number: 11/402,332
International Classification: A61G 13/12 (20060101); A61G 7/05 (20060101);